November 30, 2006

Thursday Guilty Pleasure - Alice Smith

Alice Smith.

Pic

"From the opening beat accompanied by piano and horn stabs, Alice reminds you that rock and soul came from the same place. The songs all have the anthemic quality of classic songwriting with a decidedly modern groove and vernacular." - World's Fair Label Group, Photograph by KT Auleta

Get this album NOW!

November 22, 2006

Stumbling Toward Ecstasy

Link: NPR : Cat Power in Concert.

Cat_power
NPR, the source of some of the best audio on the web and in the air, has always had a multimedia-challenged website. They are working to change that.

They have, in the last year or so, gotten some web-savvy m-school kids (m for multimedia) to help with photos and such, and are now in the market for someone to bring some sense to their efforts. in the meantime NPR has, little by little, been tricking out aspects of their site by what ever means necessary.

Take this recent live broadcast of the Cat Power concert in D.C. It has a audio slide show, the complete audio from the show, and some text to make the 'word people' feel better. All around they are moving in the right direction.

Once they complete their transition, this may be the site to come to for more than just audio archives!

November 12, 2006

Veteran's Day Weekend Guilty Pleasure - Amerie

Amerie

Amerie is an Army brat with the voice and looks of an angel.
Her music is R&B with a pinch of D.C. Go-go, and it rocks.

Amerie has a new single out and an album on the way. Check her out!

September 21, 2006

Odds and Ends

20cat_ca1650

Great interview yesterday in the N.Y. Times with Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power. Interestingly, the text was very short and when you watch the video you realize that the vid could easily replace the text altogether...a vision of the future?

Speaking of the future, I am still in love with the N.Y. Times Reader. It's a new take on one of the first online paradigms, the downloadable newspaper. This is done much better, however, and with today's bandwidth and access, the concept could stick this time. Check out Slate's take on it here.
Photo by Erich Schlegel for The New York Times

August 31, 2006

The Hips

In Any Language, a Whole Lotta Shakira Goin' On.

Shakira

Shakira doesn't need much to shake an arena to its rafters. No pyrotechnics, no army of backup dancers, no elaborate staging -- not even a pair of shoes.Just her charisma, pipes and hips.

Especially the hips. Let's just say that wars have been fought over lesser hips than Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll's. - J. Freedom du Lac, TWP; Photo by Michael Temchine For The Washington Post

August 26, 2006

Go Put Your Records On!

Corinne Bailey Rae-Music-Review - New York Times.

Corinne6501

After Corinne Bailey Rae’s sleek show at Webster Hall in Manhattan on Wednesday night, an overwrought female fan summed up the singer’s appeal in four words: “Girl, you are classy.” - Sia Michel, NYT, Photo by Judith Levitt


Too bad my local paper, (and my employer) The Washington Post, couldn't get its act together enough to review her 2 local shows. I loved the one at The Birchmere last weekend, as did my 16 year old son.

She is the real deal, just wonderful to listen to and to see.

August 18, 2006

Beautiful Music

NPR : Sara Tavares Balances Musical Influences.

Sara_tavares_1
Video

"Sara Tavares is truly an international talent. But the 26-year-old Portuguese-born singer, whose parents are from Cape Verde, seems most at home behind her guitar, making music.

"It's a whole inner process of dealing with my issues, and I think the music is medicine and a cathartic process for me," she says. "So that's why I do it -- for me most of all."

Even if Tavares writes for herself first, she says that, in a way, she also represents a nation. Her roots are in Cape Verde -- a cluster of small volcanic islands west of the African mainland."

Sara's album has been in heavy rotation in my iPod all summer. Glad to hear her get exposure to a broader audience!

June 25, 2006

Weekend Guilty Pleasure - Christina Aguilera

Ain't No Other Man


I know, I know, but the girl CAN sing!

May 31, 2006

Wednesday Guilty Pleasure - Corinne Bailey Rae

The Voice of the Summer, today.

Image5


Check out Corinne Bailey Rae. The U.S. version of her debut out June 20, but catch up with her on iTunes; there is a free acoustic version of 'Put Your Records On' free this week.

May 28, 2006

Weekend Guilty Pleasure - Juana Molina

Memorial Day Weekend. Sit back, relax; the world going to hell can wait until Tuesday.

Juana_molina

Listening this weekend to the new album from the trippy Argentinean folk songstress Juana Molina, 'Son'.

Its not out on CD for a couple of weeks, but iTunes has it now. Enjoy!